Escaped Louisiana Murderer Derrick Groves Captured After Multi-State Manhunt

After five tense days on the run, authorities say fugitive inmate Derrick Groves has been found and taken back into custody, ending one of the most dramatic manhunts in recent Louisiana history.

Groves, 33, was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder when he slipped out of the Orleans Parish lockup earlier this month. Convicted in 2024 of opening fire at a packed Mardi Gras block party that killed two people and wounded several others, he was described by prosecutors as a “cold-blooded killer” with a long record of violent behavior.

Tracked Down Before Dawn

U.S. Marshals confirmed early Wednesday that Groves was located in Jefferson Parish, roughly twenty miles west of New Orleans. He was arrested without incident at a house believed to belong to a cousin.

“We had information that Groves had been moving at night and hiding in abandoned properties,” Marshal Ray Monroe told reporters. “The operation came together quickly once we developed a credible lead yesterday afternoon.”

Neighbors said they were jolted awake around 4 a.m. by sirens and loudspeakers ordering residents to remain indoors as tactical teams converged on the street.

Aided From the Inside

Investigators allege that Groves did not act alone. According to federal documents, Darriana Burton, a former Orleans Parish jail employee who had been in a relationship with him, was arrested Tuesday and charged with assisting an escapee and obstruction of justice.

Officials believe Burton supplied Groves with civilian clothing and transportation immediately after his breakout. “We’re still tracing the money trail and communication records,” said Monroe. “This was a coordinated effort.”

Burton’s attorney declined to comment, citing ongoing proceedings.

Background of a Killer

Groves’s notoriety stems from the 2021 Mardi Gras shooting that stunned the city. Prosecutors said he opened fire after an argument outside a house party in the Bywater district, striking multiple bystanders. Two people were killed, including a college student home for the holiday.

He was sentenced to life without parole in 2024. During trial, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office called him “a violent repeat offender who has shown no capacity for remorse.”

Court records show prior arrests for assault and weapons possession dating back to his teens.

The Escape

Groves vanished during an evening headcount at the Orleans Justice Center on Friday. Authorities later discovered that he and several others had crawled through a hole behind a toilet, climbed maintenance piping, and scaled a section of barbed-wire fencing near the laundry area.

It was the second major breach at the jail in less than a year. Nine of the ten inmates involved in a previous escape—carried out using nearly the same route—have pleaded not guilty to escape charges and remain in custody.

Security footage captured Groves sprinting across a service yard before disappearing into a drainage canal. Officials acknowledged that the fence alarm system failed to trigger.

Public Outrage and Political Pressure

The escape embarrassed local officials and reignited criticism of chronic staffing shortages and outdated infrastructure at the Orleans facility. Mayor Latoya Renee called the breach “unacceptable,” pledging a full security audit.

District Attorney Leigh Michaels said her office would push for additional penalties. “This individual has repeatedly shown contempt for the law and for human life,” she said. “We intend to ensure that everyone who helped him faces justice.”

Family members of Groves’s victims expressed both relief and anger after his recapture. “We’re grateful he’s back where he belongs,” said Angela Foster, whose nephew was killed in the 2021 shooting. “But how was he able to escape in the first place?”

Inside the Manhunt

Over 100 officers from local, state, and federal agencies joined the search. Drones equipped with heat sensors combed swampy terrain near Lake Pontchartrain, while highway checkpoints were established across southern Louisiana and into Mississippi.

Tips from the public began pouring in after officials released Groves’s latest mugshot and a $25,000 reward. One caller reported seeing a man matching his description purchasing fuel with cash at a rural station late Tuesday.

That tip, investigators said, led directly to his capture.

Next Steps

Groves was transferred under heavy guard to Angola State Penitentiary, where he will be held in solitary confinement pending new escape-related charges. Authorities say they are reviewing every second of surveillance video to determine whether additional staff or inmates were complicit.

“This incident exposed vulnerabilities that can’t be ignored,” Sheriff Pauline Graves told the press. “We owe the community answers—and assurance that this will never happen again.”

For now, the search is over, but the fallout is just beginning.

As one investigator put it bluntly: “Groves may be back behind bars, but the damage he caused to public trust will take far longer to repair.”